Vijaya (king of the Eastern land)

Vijaya · vi-jaya

Vijaya has other meanings too: see all meanings of Vijaya.

Vijaya is a king of the Eastern land (pūrva-deśa), rich beyond count in horses, elephants and jewels. He had eight valorous sons and a daughter, Bhogavatī, their sister, who was like another Lakshmī. He gave Bhogavatī in marriage to Nāga, the son of King Śūrasena of Pratishṭhāna, not knowing that the prince was a serpent, and through her devotion that serpent was freed from the śāpa of Bhagavān Śiva at the place on the Gautamī now called Nāgatīrtha.

The search for a bride

Brahmā tells Nārada the glory of Nāgatīrtha. In the city of Pratishṭhāna ruled Śūrasena, a king of the Lunar line. After long efforts a son was born to him and his queen, but the son was a serpent of terrible form. Only the king and queen knew it. The serpent spoke like a man; he had his saṃskāras performed and learned the Vedas, and then asked his father for a wife, saying he would drown himself in the Gaṅgā if he were not married.

Śūrasena called his ministers, without telling them his son’s form, and asked who would be a fitting bride. His chief minister, who understood the king’s mind, said: “O great king, in the Eastern land there is a king named Vijaya. He has countless horses, elephants and jewels. That intelligent great king has eight valorous sons. Their sister Bhogavatī is exactly like another Lakshmī. She is a suitable wife for your son.”

The marriage

The old minister went to the Eastern land with a great army and met King Vijaya. He addressed him with many respectful words, as the rules of nīti (polity) and the upāyas (the means of statecraft) require, and made an alliance for the marriage of Bhogavatī and Nāga, the son of Śūrasena, “through false and true utterances”, for he hid that the groom was a serpent. He honoured Vijaya with ornaments, garments and other gifts. Having received due honour, Vijaya said: “I shall give her.”

After a long time the minister came again with a great army and all the other ministers, and told the king that Nāga did not wish to come himself. “The marriage rites of kshatriyas are of many kinds,” he said. “Let this marriage be through weapons and ornaments. Kshatriyas and brāhmaṇas speak the truth.” Vijaya took the minister’s words and Śūrasena’s message as true. He celebrated Bhogavatī’s marriage with full ceremony, with a weapon standing in for the groom, and sent her away as the śāstras direct.

Much pleased, Vijaya entrusted his own ministers with many cows, gold coins, horses, ornaments, maidservants, garments and other gifts for Śūrasena. They took the bride to Pratishṭhāna, told Śūrasena that she was his daughter-in-law, and gave him Vijaya’s message and the gifts. Śūrasena received them with great honour and sent them back with gifts so that Vijaya would be pleased.

His daughter at Nāgatīrtha

Vijaya’s daughter served her husband’s father and mother every day. When she learned that her husband was a serpent, she said: “Blessed am I, honoured am I, whose husband is a deva,” and served him with devotion. By her grace the serpent remembered his former birth: he had been a son of Śesha, coiled on the arm of Maheśvara, and she had been his wife Bhogavatī then too; when he laughed in the presence of Bhagavān Śiva, Śambhu pronounced a śāpa that he be born of a human womb, and promised release through Bhogavatī’s grace after his pūjā on the Gautamī. Bhogavatī went with him to the Gautamī, bathed and performed the pūjā of Bhagavān Śiva, and Bhagavān Śiva, delighted, granted them divine forms. At his father’s wish the prince ruled the kingdom with Bhogavatī, and when his parents had gone to svarga he placed his sons on the throne and went with her to Śivapura. The place where Bhogavatī installed Bhagavān Nāgeśvara is known from then on as Nāgatīrtha. A holy bath and dāna there, where Bhogavatī installed Bhagavān Nāgeśvara, give the fruit of all yajñas.

Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 41

Sources

• Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 41